The People's Princess
by ClairetheBard
Summary: Isabella Hunsdon is the King of Englands ward, well respected and loved by his family, the court and the people. But when Anne Boleyn comes to court the world she knows begin to tare apart at the seams and she alone must save the King from himself...
1. The Peoples Princess: Prologue

My name is Isabella Henrietta Catherine Hunsdon and I am a ward of King Henry the Eighth and his Queen Catherine of Aragon.

My Father, Lord Henry Hunsdon, a man of great wealth and power, died of the sweating sickness when I was seven and my poor Mother, Lady Isabella de Silva, a lady in waiting and close friend of the Queen died bringing me into this world.

Out of the goodness of their hearts they have taken me into their home and these past seven years educated and raised me alongside their only surviving child her Royal Highness, the Princess Mary.

But now as a girl of fourteen, a woman, and sole inheritor of all my Father's money and many vast estates throughout England and beyond I am one of the most powerful and richest women in all England.

A Princess of England in all but name.

The People's Princess.

This is my story.

-----

I had just returned to court after spending a month visiting Mary at Ludlow Castle and was taking a walk around the beautiful gardens of Hampton Court Palace, a favourite residence of King Henry the Eighth when I saw the King himself kissing the lips of a beautiful dark haired woman before noticing me and telling her to go.

'My dear Bella!' He said happily walking over to me and sweeping me into his arms in an affectionate embrace before realising me.

'Your Majesty.' I answer curtseying respectfully to him for no more then a moment before he takes one of my hands in his own and helps me to my feet once more.

'Who was that?' I ask my curiosity aroused as he glances back behind him distractedly as we now begin to walk together to an unknown and hidden part of the garden where a private conversation could not be seen or heard by anyone.

'Just a friend.' He answers with a small smile upon his lips then glares at me for having the audacity to ask him such a question.

'I don't kiss my friends that way.' I say in all innocence and watch his face change to one of amusement.

'Maybe you should. I find it sometimes brings great advantages.' He says laughing heartedly at his own little joke and I laugh politely back not understanding what he means by it.

'All my friends at the court are women. It would be inappropriate.' I answer once again in all innocence and he laughs heartedly once more.

'Inappropriate?' He echoes and I too laugh realizing that he was never used to hearing that word being a King and before that a Princess and having his every whim catered for by all those around him.

'I know. Use of the word makes me sound like a purebred Nun.' I admit mirthfully but I can see that his mood has turned serious once more.

'And are you...? Still pure?' He suddenly snaps at me and I am momentarily taken aback by his sudden burst of temper at me.

'Of course your Majesty. Did I not promise you that I would give myself to no man before marriage?' I say reassuringly and waited as the anger quickly drained from his face as if it had never existed.

'I'm sorry Bella. Forgive me. I do know that you are innocent and pure.' He said sadly and i watched with surprise as his eyes filled with tears.

'Your Majesty?' I ask concerned as he begins to weep and put my arms around him to comfort him.

For a long while the Master of all England cries in the arms of his young ward and then departs as if nothing ever happened.

This leaves her alone to wonder what breaks his heart so and being clever, as she was, it does not take her long to work out the answer.

A son.

He needs a son to continue the Tudor line.

Suddenly the wind chills her to the bone and a horrible feeling that she cannot escape fills her heart shaking her to the very core of her being.

There was malice in the air and a wicked form of change approaching but what form it would take she didn't know.

Only that she would have to be on her guard.

For the sake of the King.

For the sake of Queen Catherine and Princess Mary.

Finally for her own sake.

The Devil himself was banging at their door trying to come in...


	2. The Peoples Princess: Prologue Part 2

That same night I retire to my chambers still thinking of the mysterious woman I had seen the King kissing as my maids undress and help me to cleanse myself of the dirt of the day.

I only have a small series of rooms but none the less they are comfortable and warm with every comfort at my disposal.

My bedchamber, the largest of the rooms, has a large fireplace by the side of the bed, all ready lit and Grace, an old maid who has taken care of me since birth helps me into my nightdress and dismisses the other servants before respectfully bowing to me and leaving herself.

I take a moment to gaze around the room before I put out the candles I admire the portrait of my Mother that lies upon the far wall.

The King had commissioned it as a special gift for my last birthday, amongst many others from him and the Queen.

It has my Mother, who is quite beautiful resembles a pale marble statue of a Greek goddess alive only with the piercing blue eyes and long dark hair that tumbles down her shoulders in loose natural curls, sitting upon a chair in a dress of fine blue silk, visibly pregnant but posed regally like a Queen but with hands placed protectively upon her lap and a faint smile playing upon her lips.

By that look alone I always knew that she had loved and adored me.

Alas, she was only two years older then I when she died bringing me into world and believing that I had killed my Mother, my own Father refused to have anything to do with me.

Apart from acknowledging me and giving me his name he had my Mother's servants raise me and I never knew or saw him.

Everyone knew this.

So, a portrait of him would have been a most inappropriate gift from anyone.

What little I did know of him was that mad with grief, he quickly took ill with the sweating sickness but recovered only to be forever unable to move from his bed and became a bitter and broken man until the day he died.

Protected from sadness by Grace and the rest of the household servants I lived a charmed existence in our country home until the day of his funeral.

The rest, if I have told it right, you all ready know.

I need say no more and go to bed.

-----

The next morning I awake to the pleasant sound of birdsong and the faint happy chattering of my maids as they go about their work in the other rooms as Grace orders them to do so.

Rising to use to the chamber pot at the foot of the bed before and retiring to bed once more lie upon my side to watch the sun rising through the window when I'm suddenly startled by a sudden tender kiss upon my back.

I freeze but offer no resistance as I feel a hand slipping between my thighs and gently easing them apart to slowly caress the virgin flesh that lay between them.

I gasp as strange yet pleasurable sensations begin to overwhelm my senses and I managed to reach a hand beneath the covers and around their wrist squeezing it hard to make them stop.

With their other free hand they turn me over and I am surprised to see the same mysterious woman id seen with the King naked in the bed beside me.

She doesn't stop her other hand and stares at me as if she wants to eat me.

I open my mouth to speak to her and she leans over me and silences me with a kiss.

Then her body glides onto mine and I feel her heart pounding against my own.

Her arms come tight round my waist and she suddenly pulls me to her to position my legs around her waist and lock them at the ankles.

Then she has me many times before we are both taken over by a very sweet exhaustion and fall asleep still connected at the waist.

-----

Later that same day the King sends a messenger who tells me I am summoned me to a private audience in his chambers where we exchange pleasantries and it is explained that there is someone he dearly wants me to meet.

A few moments later the door opens and who should enter boldly but the same woman who had surprised and seduced me in my own bedchamber.

And her name was Anne Boleyn...


	3. Capturing the Falcon

CAPTURING  
THE  
FALCON

Grieved while watching the King and Queen's relationship go from bad to worse Lady Isabella plots to bring down and destroy Anne Boleyn.

This story is based upon the characters portrayed in the HBO/BBC production the Tudors and has no basis in either the events in the television series or those that occurred in history. In short, I'm merely using them for my own entertainment and this is a fan fiction and nothing more.

-----

A very big thank you to all those who've read and reviewed the story so far.

More will be here soon I promise!


	4. Capturing The Falcon Part 1

CAPTURING  
THE  
FALCON

Returning to a changed court, a heartbroken Queen and a King who suddenly finds her extremely attractive the fourteen year old Isabella Hunsdon must also choose a side

This story is based upon the characters portrayed in the HBO/BBC production the Tudors and has no basis in either the events in the television series or those that occurred in history. In short, I'm merely using them for my own entertainment and this is a fan fiction and nothing more.

A very big thank you to all those who've read and reviewed the story so far.

My name is Isabella Henrietta Catherine Hunsdon and I am a ward of King Henry the Eighth and his Queen Catherine of Aragon.

My Father, Lord Henry Hunsdon, a man of great wealth and power, died of the sweating sickness when I was seven and my poor Mother, Lady Isabella de Silva, a lady in waiting and close friend of the Queen died bringing me into this world.

Out of the goodness of their hearts they have taken me into their home and these past seven years educated and raised me alongside their only surviving child her Royal Highness, the Princess Mary.

But now as a girl of fourteen, a woman, and sole inheritor of all my Father's money and many vast estates throughout England and beyond I am one of the most powerful and richest women in all England.

A Princess of England in all but name.

But I am unheard by anyone but you.

Whether you choose to believe my story or what history tells you I'll leave up to you.

But know that I was there, that I lived and breathed amongst the greatest players on the stage of history.

I am the People's Princess and this, this is the story of my life.

Hampton Court Palace.  
A favourite residence of King Henry the Eighth.

I have just returned to court after spending a month visiting Princess Mary at Ludlow Castle and after settling into my rooms I amuse myself by taking a walk around it's beautiful gardens with my beloved and faithful dog Lancelot running at my heels.

Suddenly the dog darts off barking happily into a hidden part of the garden and chasing after him I see the King passionately kissing the lips of a beautiful dark haired woman before noticing me and telling her to go.

Respectfully I curtsey to him and he in turn bows to me.

'My dear Bella!' He then says happily walking over to me with a smile upon his face like the sun breaking through the clouds after a heavy storm and sweeping me into his arms in an affectionate embrace before realising me to look me up and down appreciatively. 'It's good to have you back at court. I missed you.'

'I missed your Majesty as well. Queen Katherine too. But I must confess something...' I begin nervously as he has me take his arm and we walk together followed at a safe distance by his loyal guards.

'What must you confess?' He asks giving my hand a reassuring squeeze and gazing at me kindly.

'I miss Princess Mary very much. It was very hard to leave and I...' I explain trying to remain confident as his kindly gaze suddenly grows rather stern and the words tumble out clumsily from my mouth.

'You'd like to stay at Ludlow and be a lady in waiting to her instead?' He asks somewhat surprised at my wish to leave his court.

'With your Majesty's permission of course.' I answer politely not forgetting my manners and do my best to effectively ask his permission.

'For the time being you will remain in the Queen's service and then as these great matters progress we will see about returning you to Ludlow.' He says after a few moments have passed, having taken the time to think it over.

'Great matters? What great matters do you speak of your Majesty?'

'Come to my chamber tonight after supper.' He suddenly whispers in my ear and his intimate tone makes me blush.

'Yes, your Majesty.' I answer completely confused by the whole thing.

He smiles at me then, like the sun breaking through the clouds after a heavy storm as my little dog runs up to him wagging his tail and kneels down to pet him gently.

As i kneel down to snatch up the ribbon tied to the dogs collar one of his hands brushes mine and suddenly his lips meet mine in a brief, tender kiss.

To my surprise I find myself kissing him back until the sound of someone approaching makes us break apart and get to our feet once more.

The King, gazing at me seductively all the while, still holds my hand, brings it to his lips and kisses it gently before he departs leaving me very confused and all alone in the garden.

Later that day I am summoned to the Queen's chambers to resume my duties as a Lady in Waiting and while I am awaiting her to greet me I fight hard to stop remembering the way her husband, the King, had kissed me no more then a few hours before

Her ladies assemble before me first, my eyes locking with the beautiful dark haired woman I had seen the King with in the garden as she is the last to enter the room before Queen Katherine herself appears before me.

They all curtsey deeply before they go on about their business and I follow their example with my head respectfully bowed until I am commanded to look up.

'Lady Hunsdon.' She says sternly with great authority and I get the feeling that she all ready knows what had happened in the gardens no more then a few hours ago.

'Your Majesty.' I say nervously, too ashamed to even look up at her when i suddenly feel her hand on mine and find myself pulled into a warm loving embrace.

'My sweet Isabella. Oh how I've missed you so.' She whispers in Spanish into my ear, before moving back to look at me appreciatively and embracing me once more.

I motion to the nearest servant to bring forth a few small gifts and a letter I had brought with me all the way from Ludlow under strict instructions to show no one else, not even the King himself.

'Your daughter, her Royal Highness, the Princess Mary, sends her love and wishes you continued good health and happiness. I am also asked to give you a letter written in her own hand and tell you on her behalf that she is now happily settled at Ludlow Castle, her new permanent residence.' I say taking the gifts from the servant and presenting them to her each, in turn before I give her the letter.

'I'm glad to hear it.' She says happily before opening up the letter and beginning to read it's contents.

'Do wish me to leave you, your Majesty?' I ask as her face suddenly grows sad and her eyes fill with tears.

'No, stay. Pick up the lute and play me something cheerful...As you used to.' She answers her voice breaking with emotion, pointing towards the instrument in the far corner and turns her back from me to look out of a window near by.

I go to pick it up and begin to play a sweet little melody I'd written as a child that had always pleased her.

At the sound of her crying I begin to hum along to the melody, if she had been a normal woman I would have put down the lute and held her but this was a Queen and such things were not done unless an invitation was offered.

I move into the next room where her ladies in waiting are busy going about with their duties and continue to play.

No one looks at me or acknowledges I am there so I take a seat in the corner of the room and watch them work.

Suddenly, I am aware that I'm being watched and glance to the opposite doorway where my eyes intensely meet those of the beautiful dark haired woman I had seen the King kissing in the garden until she shyly blushes and looks away.

It was time for the game to begin...


End file.
